Well prepared: Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing shows the design of ballot papers for the July 10 Chief Executive Election.

A new set of guidelines on activities related to the Chief Executive Elections has been published. Nominations for candidature in the forthcoming election will be open from June 3 to 16, and voting will take place on July 10 if more than one candidate is validly nominated.

Justice Carlye Chu, a judge of the Court of First Instance, has been appointed the Returning Officer for the election.

Speaking at a press conference today, Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing said the guidelines will apply to the forthcoming and future Chief Executive elections conducted under the Chief Executive Election Ordinance.

A nominee must enlist at least 100 Election Committee members to personally sign his or her nomination form. To qualify as a candidate, the nominee must also be a Hong Kong permanent resident aged 40 or above and a Chinese citizen with no right of abode in any foreign country. He or she must also have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 20 years before the polling day.

When asked if principal officials can take part in election-related activities, Justice Woo said they are political appointees and may belong to or be affiliated with political organisations. While they can take part in election-related activities, they have to comply with a Code for Principal Officials Under the Accountability System.

No public resources be used

He also pointed out principal officials should not use any public resources for election-related activities, and should exercise great care to ensure there is no actual or potential conflict of interest with the Government's business or his or her own official duties.

Nominees must personally hand in completed nomination forms to the Returning Officer at her office on the 10th floor, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, between 9am and 5pm from Mondays to Fridays and between 9am and noon on Saturdays during the nomination period. Nominations will not be received on Sundays or public holidays.

The Guidelines on Election-related Activities in Respect of the Chief Executive Elections were finalised after the commission carefully considered the 15 written and two oral representations received during a two-week public consultation exercise in April. There is no substantial difference between the finalised guidelines and the proposed guidelines published in April.

Justice Woo called on all potential candidates to familiarise themselves with the guidelines before putting forward their nominations or conducting electioneering activities.

"Candidates, including those who have publicly declared their intention to stand for the election, whether or not they have submitted a nomination form, and their representatives can write to the commission to enquire about the interpretation or operation of the electoral guidelines," he said.

The full text of the guidelines and more information on the Chief Executive Election are available at www.elections.gov.hk. General enquiries can be made on 2891 1001.